2pt4 Crash Landing
by Lamby
Summary: A car accident involving a couple of X-Men sparks a chain of events that puts Gambit, Blaze, Rogue and Angel in a strained and strange situation.
1. Chapter 1

#A car accident involving a couple of X-Men sparks a chain of events that puts Gambit, Blaze, Rogue and Angel in a strained and strange situation#

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, nada, zip. Blaze owns me

**A/N: **Number 10 in my Evo fics, though no need to read the others first. The only thing you really need to know is that Gambit has switched sides, as will become obvious fairly quickly. I hope you enjoy, let me know what you think?

**01**

Bayville High basked in the tranquillity of a peaceful, golden afternoon. All was quiet; all was still. Boring, thought a blonde bombshell as she sat in the back row of her math class. Boring, boring, boring and boring-er still. Tabitha tapped her pen on her desk impatiently, watching the second hand on the clock above the teacher's head steadily count down. Can't time go any faster? She thought about letting rip with one of the little explosive balls that were her mutant power, creating a distraction to get her out of there faster. No, she realised, they'd probably only land me in detention for it. Oh why can't the bell just ring early for once!

Boom Boom's ear pricked up at the sudden shrill squeal of car brakes, and her nostrils flared at the acrid stench of tyre smoke. Ignoring her teacher and classmates, Tabitha lurched to the open window and thrust her head outside. Down below on the school's frontage, a sleek silver convertible with its top down did a smooth doughnut on the asphalt. Its redheaded driver had one hand on the wheel, the other dangling gracefully down the car's flank. As the car pirouetted on the spot, the doughnut created waves of tyre smoke and left behind a thick black circle of rubber.

The driver then threw off the brake and accelerated rapidly away, scoring through the black circle with twin diagonal lines. Tossing her long curls back over her shoulder, the driver spun the car around and came back at the markings at a ninety-degree angle. She slammed on the brakes as she crossed the circle one last time, leaving yet another set of tyre tracks on the road. The result, as the mental redheaded girl spun the car around lazily and stool in her seat to examine her handiwork, was a large circle, scored through with an X.

"Whoo-hoo, go Blaze!" Tabby saluted her friend cheerily, ducking back into the classroom just as the bell finally rang. Tabby grabbed her bag and math book, and was halfway down the corridor before anyone else in her class has even left their seats. She slid down the banister on the stairs, taking a leap for the door as soon as she got to the ground floor. There was a shout behind her that could have been Principle Kelly, but Boom Boom wasn't looking back. Thrusting her way through the double doors, Tabby legged it to Blaze's car and dived into the passenger seat.

"Seat belt," the petite British girl insisted with a laugh. In flared blue hipster jeans and a black vest top, Blaze sparkled with tasteful jewellery and neat makeup. Her long curly hair hung loose down her back and her big brown eyes were glinting with laughter. No sooner had Tabby fastened herself in when Blaze stamped on the gas and launched her car at the unsuspecting Bayville streets.

"Whoa," exclaimed the blonde, laughing. "Oh man, I seriously thought today would never end!"

"Are you joking," Blaze replied, reaching out a hand to crank up the stereo. "Today is only just beginning!"

Roll titles…………………………………………


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, nada, zip. Blaze owns me

**02**

The peace of Bayville was blasted out of existence by the growl of Blaze's car engine and the squall of music from the stereo. Panicked drumming, frantic guitar and sultry bass played havoc with a pop-rock queen's powerful vocals. Birds took off from the trees as the two girls cruised past full throttle. Tabby leaned back in the leather seat, looking at the sky with her arms stretched out behind her. This was the life.

Two blocks from the school, Blaze briefly pulled over. A waiting figure in red and black pulled open the passenger side door. Tabby scooted over obligingly, offering a high-five to Magneto's daughter. Wanda appreciated the gesture, slammed the door shut behind her and then they were off once more. Despite the confined space, Tabitha's air-guitar playing was surprisingly good, reducing the girls to peals of laughter as they cruised through town. Well, Blaze and Tabitha laughed, Wanda just smiled. She didn't do laughter.

Taking a left into a busier part of Bayville, Blaze had to come to a halt at the traffic lights. Besides them as they waited for the lights to change to green, was a young man on a red motorbike. He was leaning forwards in a squat, aerodynamic posture with one trailing foot on the floor to help support the stationary bike as its engine idled. He had a helmet on with the tinted visor down, but the girls still recognised him. The trench coat was clue enough. Tabby wolf-whistled as Blaze drew alongside the bike, making Gambit take a glance back over his shoulder.

If it had been anyone else, Gambit might have responded to the wolf whistling with something equally flirtatious. But as Tabby and Wanda laughed merrily at the Cajun's response, Gambit flipped up his visor to lock eyes with Blaze. The redhead pursed her lips, revving the car engine, a challenge in her eyes. Up until recently it had been odds-on that the Cajun and the English girl would get it together. Their latest mission had put an end to all that, reducing their once-solid friendship to a raw need to compete against the other thief.

As Blaze revved her car engine, her meaning could not have been clearer. She was saying, 'I can drink more than you, I party harder than you do, and my car's faster than yours too.' Gambit gritted his teeth as he turned his attention back to his bike, shutting his visor and watching for the lights to change. In a flash the lights were green, and the race was on. The lighter motorbike was faster off the line, but the car had more power. Blaze took a cheeky line into the next bend in the road, nearly pushing Remy out of the way.

Remy heaved the bike back from a colossal wobble, just as Blaze overtook him and drew ahead. Tabby whooped with the success, throwing a handful of mini-explosions high into the air above the car. The success was short lived though as the traffic got suddenly busier. Blaze broke heavily, her expression a picture of concentration, whilst Wanda gripped the dashboard of the car with two hands. They narrowly missed rear-ending a van, then swerved down a narrow alley to escape the traffic. Gambit was in hot pursuit, cornering so fast that his bike was almost sideways and his knee dragged on the ground. The car was fast, roaring like a lion, but the bike was nimble as a gazelle. As Blaze had to break again at the end of the alley, ready for the corner, the bike shot past.

Not knowing where he was racing to or why, Gambit accelerated. He could hear the sound of Blaze's engine like a distant descant to his own vehicle. She was gaining on him again. Suddenly there was a movement on the right hand side of the street just ahead. He barely had time to think 'what the?' when a form burst out from the crowded pavement. Gambit didn't see what it was; he just flung his bike sideways with all his strength in order to miss it. The bike wobbled and slid, falling over sideways. Gambit was thrown off, rolling along the floor he was scraped, scratched and sliced by the force of his impact onto the road. His helmet and his skull inside it bounced on the asphalt, bringing bile to his mouth and making his ears ring.

Blaze registered Gambit's swerve in the blink of an eye. She slammed on her brakes, the ABS making a heavy chuntering noise as the system fought to stop the brakes from locking. Tabby and Wanda clutched onto whatever they could. Someone screamed as the car rapidly decelerated. It wasn't enough. There was a double thud as whatever it was that had run into the road hit Blaze's bonnet and bounced into the windscreen. The glass cracked as the object rolled off again, disappearing below the girls' line of vision. Eventually, the car stopped.

"Everyone okay?" Blaze gasped, turning off the engine and looking to her friends.

"Yeah, yeah," Tabby floundered. "I'm fine."

"I think I'm gonna hurl," Wanda groaned, "But I'm not hurt."

"Good," Blaze said forcefully, opening her door. "Get the hell outta here, both of you. Now."

"What? Why?" Tabby's brain didn't compute.

"It's bad enough one mutant has been in a car crash, without there being a whole car-full involved," Blaze hissed hastily. "Get out and go, quickly!" Tabby still blinked incomprehensively, so Blaze turned her attention to Wanda. "Get her out of here, please Wanda!"

"Alright," Wanda popped off her seatbelt and grabbed Tabby's arm. Blaze leapt out of the car and was swallowed up in a surge of pedestrians rushing onto the scene. She couldn't see if Gambit was okay, and as she glanced back Wanda and Tabby had disappeared. Then suddenly the crowd parted, and she saw what it was that she had hit. It looked at first like a crumpled pile of clothes, until she blinked and saw that it was a young girl, no older than Magma. The cold feeling hit Blaze in the stomach, she went dizzy and the blood rushed to her head, nearly causing her to faint. All she could think was 'What have I done?'


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, nada, zip. Blaze owns me

**03**

Sirens were on the scene within moments. The crowd parted to let the emergency vehicles through. Paramedics burst from an ambulance and set upon the girl, who so far hadn't moved. Blaze wrapped her arms around her belly and waited for the police. A bystander pointed her out as the driver; so one cop came directly to her whilst his partner started questioning witnesses. Fingers of absolute dread ran up Blaze's spine, reminding her that she was still a wanted criminal. She tried to make her brain leap into gear before the cop got to her, but it kept stalling on the knowledge she'd hit a girl with her car.

"Miss, are you the driver of this vehicle?" the cop asked, not quite impatiently. Blaze nodded, then as she realised he wanted more of an answer she said, "Yes, its my car. Will she be okay?"

The cop looked back over his shoulder, catching the eye of one of the paramedics. They were lifting the girl on a stretcher into the back of the ambulance. Blaze saw the paramedic give a short sharp nod, then go back to work. The cop turned back to Blaze with an answer, "It's touch and go, but yeah, they think she will pull through."

Blaze felt a weight lifted rapidly from her shoulders, so rapidly in fact it left her dizzy with a head-rush. She shook her head to clear it and had to ask the police officer to repeat his next question. He scowled, his hand poised threateningly over the radio clipped to his chest. "I said," he growled, "What's your name Miss?"

"Helena Morrison," Blaze lied instinctively.

"Is the car registered to you, Miss Morrison?"

"Yes," this time Blaze didn't lie. Her car was indeed registered to a false name, though the reason why was long and complicated. Sure enough, when the police officer called through on the radio it only took a few seconds for the registration to be confirmed to the pseudonym. The police officer however wasn't done yet, asking Blaze to produce her driver's licence. The redhead fished in her wallet for a few seconds for the correct fake ID, satisfying the cop once more. Or at least she thought she had.

"You're British?" asked the police officer.

"Yes," Blaze confirmed, thinking sarcastically that she had a regular Sherlock Holmes on her case here.

"How long have you been in the States, Miss Morrison?"

"About a year," Blaze got that sinking feeling again. Legally, she shouldn't be here at all. She had no visa or work permit, and hadn't entered through customs. She'd sneaked in the back door with the help of Xavier's telepathic daughter Ilehana.

"Do you have your visa on your person?" the cop pressed, handing back her driver's licence. Blaze shook her head, trying to explain, "No, I…"

"You said about a year," the cop pressed, still scowling. "Is it more or less than twelve months?"

"Fifteen months I think," Blaze replied.

"Most visas only last six months to a year," the cop interjected. "Are you working here?"

"Yes I…" Blaze started again, but the cop was on a roll and he knew it. The ambulance siren blasted once to clear a path between the onlookers as it pulled away, taking the girl to hospital. That only served to rattle Blaze more, making her shift her weight from foot to foot as the cop asked, "Does your employer know that you could be deported if your visa has expired? We can't have all our jobs being filled by foreign workers, Americans need these posts."

"I understand but I…" Blaze was getting nowhere fast.

"This is very serious," the cop continued. "Even if the girl recovers and doesn't press charges. If you're in the country illegally…"

"'Scuse me Officer," a familiar Cajun accent cut in, putting a hand on Blaze's left shoulder. "Are you hasslin' my wife?"

"Your wife?" the cop blinked at Gambit, suddenly seeing the dramatic headlines about his heroic arrest of an illegal immigrant who mowed down an American child evaporate in smoke. Gambit nodded as Blaze turned and buried her face in the Cajun's chest. She tucked her ring-less left hand inside Remy's trench coat. Gambit squared up to the cop, folding his arms around Blaze's shoulders. "My wife," the Cajun confirmed, lying through his teeth.

"All these people," the cop's partner came over and interrupted the Mexican standoff. "Still no-one witnessed the car at all. Four people saw the girl run out of nowhere into the middle of the road. There's no way the car had time to stop, no matter how fast or slow you were driving Miss. Looks like you're free to go."

"Thank you," Blaze twisted in Gambit's arms to respond to the police officers. Gambit thanked them too, and gave them a fake phone number, just in case they needed to contact the 'couple' again.

"Take her home," the second and more pleasant cop suggested kindly. "She looks pretty shook up, and I'm sure she could use some TLC."

"I will," Gambit squeezed Blaze a little harder and even had the audacity to kiss the top of her head tenderly. The cops exchanged a look and wandered off back to their car.

No sooner had the cops departed than Blaze shoved her way out of Gambit's embrace with a shudder. "I must have been totally wasted that night," she retaliated nervously. "To marry you. I mean I've regularly been blind drunk, but that doesn't excuse my other four senses."

"Car keys," Gambit held out his hand and snapped his fingers demandingly.

"No way," Blaze clutched her keys defensively.

"What's mine is yours and what's yours is mine, eh Cherie?" Gambit snapped his fingers again with a flat smile. "Keys Blaze, you ain't drivin' home after this. You're in shock."

"No kidding," Blaze finally succumbed and gave Remy the keys. She got into the passenger seat of her car and let Gambit start the engine. "Its just all so sudden. I didn't even get an engagement ring or anything." She was in shock from the accident, and she knew it. Blaze wrapped her arms around herself to disguise the trembling and tried not to look at the crack in the windscreen.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, nada, zip. Blaze owns me

**04**

"What did you do with your bike?" Blaze pestered her 'husband' as they pulled away from the scene of the crash.

"I moved it," Gambit answered, checking the rear-view mirror and adjusting his seat one-handed to accommodate his long legs.

"Where to?" Blaze badgered.

"Huh, if I'd known I was marrying into the Spanish Inquisition," he retorted dryly, "I never would've gotten involved."

"As your wife its my duty to nag you at every opportunity," Blaze pointed out.

"An' as your husband its my duty to ignore you," Remy replied.

"Fine," grouched Blaze. "You do that."

"I was intendin' to," Gambit answered as they pulled up in front of the mansion. Neither X-Man could wait to unbuckle their seatbelts and jump out of the confines of the car. "You want carryin' over the threshold?" Remy asked, pointing to the front door with a thumb.

"No thanks, you'd either drop me or knock me out on the door frame," Blaze dismissed his offer with a wave of a hand. The door opened from the inside and Storm appeared with Angel at her side.

"Tabitha told us you had a crash," Ororo sounded extremely worried. "Are you both alright?"

"Bin better" Remy admitted, scowling as Blaze went straight into Angel's open arms. "There something you wanna tell me Cherie?" he asked her sarcastically.

"I'm sorry Rem," the redhead told him over her shoulder with a petulant look on her pretty face. "The excitement just isn't there for me anymore. I think we'd both be better off with other people, so I'm filing for divorce."

"'Bout time one of us did," shrugged Gambit, but Blaze wasn't listening. She'd turned her attention back to Warren, who was looking confused. "Divorce?" Angel asked heavily, making Blaze roll her eyes. "It's a long story," she sighed.

"Oh," Angel accepted her response without prying further. He had the feeling he probably didn't want to know. "Are you alright? You're not hurt are you?"

"I'm fine," Blaze answered, though she could hear the quiver in her own voice. She leant heavily on her boyfriend's arm as he coaxed her back inside. "Just a bit shook up, that's all."

"What happened?" Warren asked breathlessly, guiding Blaze inside to sit down on a comfortable, if slightly sagging, old sofa. He held her hands in his as she sighed. Storm and Gambit trailed in after them as Blaze began to explain all that had occurred. By the time she had finished, she was shaking from head to foot as the shock set in again. Angel hugged her to him as Blaze ended by saying, "I just hope the poor little mite is alright. If we hadn't been larking about, none of this would have happened."

"You don't know that," counselled Storm.

#Indeed,# joined in the Professor from Cerebro. #I am keeping an eye on events at the hospital. Don't worry Blaze, the girl seems to be fine. She's sleeping now, and she's being taken good care of. I suggest that you let your friends do the same for you.#

"That's a great idea," Angel agreed with the Professor. "Blaze, how does a movie and then dinner sound to you?"

"Cheesy," Gambit quipped maliciously, turning and leaving the room.

"It sounds lovely," Blaze admitted. "I need something to take my mind off everything."

"Great," Warren smiled. "I'll go make reservations, and I'll pick you up at eight." He kissed her cheek chastely, stood up and left.

"Go run yourself a hot bath," Storm advised. The weather witch took hold of Blaze's extended hands and gave her a tug out of her seat. "I'll have Logan take a look at the damage to your car, and I'll send Tabitha to find you with some tea."

"Thanks Storm," Blaze allowed herself a small smile in gratitude. "A long hot bath sounds wonderful."

"I thought it might," Storm chuckled. "Go on, get out of here." She gave Blaze's warm hands a little squeeze and then let go. Blaze left.

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At eight o'clock sharp Angel arrived back at the Institute. The only X-Man about was Rogue. The skunk-haired Southern Belle greeted Angel warmly, and then blushed as he told her she looked nice. "Not got a hot date, have you Rogue?" he enquired politely.

"Ah wish," Rogue got all flustered, toying with her hair and batting her eyelashes at the tall blond man. "Are you…"

Whatever Rogue had been about to ask was cut off by a door banging loudly up above them. Angel and Rogue both looked up the stairs in the foyer at the same time. They could hear voices shouting, but couldn't make out the exact words. Rogue felt slightly apprehensive as she realised the argument was heading their way, but she was nowhere near as nervous as Angel looked when he realised who was arguing.

"…Get this into your thick skull Cajun, I-don't-care-what-you-think!"

"D'accord, wear your cheap outfit then. Jus' don't come cryin' to me when half the men in Bayville t'ink you…"

"Finish that sentence and I swear I'll incinerate you on the spot!" yelled Blaze. "Who do you think you are, my mother?" She appeared at the railing at the edge of the landing. Grabbing hold of the banister with both hands, Blaze leaned over a little and peered down below. Her scowl disappeared as she spotted Angel. Instead she smiled and waved brightly. Angel took a sharp intake of breath as he saw her, grinning from ear to ear.

Blaze descended the stairs in a dragons-blood red, thigh length fluted gossamer skirt, and a strappy chocolate coloured top with a plunging neckline. It was a tad revealing, not that Angel seemed to mind his girlfriend showing so muck milky white skin. He met her at the bottom of the stairs, eyes sparkling, and kissed her chastely on the lips. Rogue averted her eyes, seeking out Gambit who had halted at the top of the stairs and was glowering at the scene below. Feeling Rogue's eyes on him, Gambit glanced in her direction. A small grin broke his façade and he winked at her. Rogue blanched, Remy was up to something, she could tell.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, nada, zip. Blaze owns me

**05**

The young couple left without much of a backwards glance, got into Angel's black executive car, and pulled away. Gambit positively bounced down the stairs like a kid at Christmas and jogged to the door. Wrenching it open he peered outside, making a mental note of the couple's direction of travel. Then he turned to Rogue.

"You up for some fun, Cherie?" he asked, extending his hands towards her for Rogue to take.

"What kinda fun?" Rogue hesitated, but took a step towards him at the same time.

"No more than they deserve," crooned the Cajun. "C'mon Rogue, don't let me down."

How could she resist a heartfelt plea like that? She couldn't, not with Gambit making puppy-dog eyes at her for good measure. Rogue reached out and took the Cajun's hand in her gloved one. Remy grinned, and whisked Rogue off out the door to his waiting bike. The machine was, like Remy, a bit scraped, bumped and bruised from the earlier accident. Still, it started first time, and they were off in pursuit of their victims.

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The first stop was the Bayville multiplex cinema in the centre of town. Gambit and Rogue hid around the corner until Blaze and Angel disappeared inside. "What are you gonna do?" Rogue hissed excitedly as Gambit looked around for inspiration.

"Bingo," Gambit ginned, flicking his head in the direction of one Fred Dukes. The Blob was at an amusement arcade across the road, rattling one of the one-armed bandits to try and rustle up the change for a snack. Gambit grabbed Rogue's wrist and dragged her over to the Brotherhood crony. Remy flashed a winning smile at Blob, sidling up to him as Blob vainly explored the coin tray with one chubby finger for any money. "Bonjour mon Ami," Gambit oozed. "How'd you like to hear a proposition?"

"Err?" Blob scratched his head. "I dunno, what kind of proposition?"

"The kind where I buy you all the popcorn, cheesy nachos and soda you can shove into that gaping maw o' yours, if you do one tiny thing for me," Gambit explained.

"What thing?" Blob asked, dropping his hand to his side and wondering if Gambit had enough money for such an offer.

"Angel an' Blaze have jus' gone in to watch that new action blockbuster everyone talkin' about. All I need you to do is chaperone them for me. Jus' sit next to Blaze an' make sure there's no funny business, okay?"

"Throw in a super size bag of candy," the Blob rationalised, "And you've got a deal."

"Formidable," Remy shook the man mountain's hand to seal the deal. Minutes later Blob was staggering into the screen under the weight of literally tonnes of junk food. His pleading looks had even managed to add a couple of hotdogs and some peanuts to his stash. Rogue couldn't hold back any longer. "That was too cruel," she laughed. "Why are you doin' all this?"

"Cuz I can," Gambit shrugged. "C'mon, I ain't through yet." He took Rogue's arm and led her back outside. "Where we goin'?" Rogue asked, confused.

"Round the back," Remy explained, taking the girl down a side alley to a padlocked back door. "Blob cleaned me outta cash so we gotta go in dis way. What, don't tell me you never sneaked into the movies before?"

"I…" Rogue started to argue that she didn't think the Professor would approve, but Remy had already blown apart the lock and was entering the building. Rogue shook her head and followed him.

They entered the screen at the back of the room, just as the movie was starting. Blob had already made himself at home in the three seats next to Blaze, with a fourth for his stash of goodies. Blaze and Angel, too polite to get up and move seats, even away from a Brotherhood member, were sat rigidly in their seats looking very uncomfortable.

"Ooh, this is gonna be good, I can tell," Blob enthused as the opening credits rolled. "Popcorn?" he asked generously, spraying bits of food over the couple as he spoke. Rogue sniggered as Blaze declined the offer, before the Southern Belle turned to see where Gambit had got to. The Cajun was edging along a row of seats; seven or eight rows back from Angel and Blaze. He was obviously targeting something, looking at a spot between Blaze and Blob and itching sideways until he found the line he wanted. Happy with his seat, he grabbed Rogue's arm again and tugged her down besides him.

"Stay low," he instructed her, fidgeting in his seat so he could see Blaze et al, but a casual glance backwards from the other three wouldn't spot him or Rogue. Blob was speaking again, it seemed he'd be keeping up a commentary throughout the film and indeed throughout his supper.

"Oh man, there's no way they'll be able to get romantic with Blob sat next to them," Rogue appreciated, her eyes sparkling. "What else you got up your sleeves Gambit?"

"You'll jus' have to wait an' see," Remy whispered. "It all about timin' Cherie."

"Ya still haven't told me why you're doin' this," Rogue crooned beseechingly. "Ya really must have had a row with Blaze, ruining her date like this."

"You wanna know the truth Chere?" Gambit kicked back, putting his boots over the back of the chair in front to give himself more legroom. He folded his arms and glowered, not at Blaze, but at Angel. "Its all about chicken boy. What's he got dat I ain't?"

"You're jealous?" Rogue was a tad upset. "Well for a start he's mega rich. He's polite, a real gentleman who knows how to treat a gal. He has good personal hygiene an' doesn't alternate washing and shaving…"

"Kablamo!" exclaimed the Blob very loudly, as an on-screen explosion cut Rogue off. "Take that you little geek!"

"I don't know why I thought this might be a romantic film, what with it bein' a date an' all," Rogue drawled.

"Blaze can't stand chick flicks," Remy knew. "Don't go changin' the subject Rogue. Sounds like someone else round here gotta hot crush."

"Ah," Rogue flushed. "Well maybe. Angel's always been really nice to me, y'know? I thought there might be somethin' to it, 'til he started seein' the Firefly. Since then I tried not to think about it too much. Ah don't know why I'm tellin' you all this…"

"Hey I bare my soul, you bare yours," Remy patted the back of her gloved hand warmly. "Now how about you an' me work together an' make this the date from Hell. You never know, we might even break 'em up, non?"

"It's a deal," Rogue smiled wickedly. "So what's next?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, nada, zip. Blaze owns me

**06**

In reply, Remy reached inside his pocket and brought out a sticky lump of popcorn. Rogue frowned, showing disgust that he'd fill his pockets with something so icky. Far from eating it, which she'd half thought he might, Remy rolled the popcorn between his fingers, charging it with his mutant power. Gambit's eyes narrowed as he watched Blob intently.

Just at that moment Blob reached over to his stash on his right hand side, making a grab for a hot dog. The action opened up a slightly larger gap between him and Blaze. Gambit flung his lump of popcorn through the gap, and into the still mostly full extra large tub of popcorn on Blob's chunky lap. There was a brief moment when Rogue found herself holding her breath. Then the tub spewed its contents upwards so that popcorn rained down on Angel, Blaze and Blob in a sticky downpour.

"Blob you clumsy oaf!" Blaze exclaimed, making the few other people in the screen, who were sitting down nearer the front, turn around and hush her loudly.

"Oops sorry," bemoaned Fred, lamenting the loss of his food. "I don't know what happened."

"Shushh," hisses a woman at the front of the screen again.

"I'll shush you, shushy lady," exclaimed Blob indignantly, lurching to his feet.

"Blob, no, sit down," Blaze urged. "Its only popcorn, its not worth it."

"Right," Blob sighed. "At least I've still got my soda." He sat down and picked up his super sized paper cup, peeling off the plastic lid to gaze lovingly at the dark brown contents and bobbing lumps of ice.

"Please try to not spill that all over everywhere as well Blob," pleaded Warren, helping Blaze to pluck popcorn from her long tangled curls.

"Gambit, no!" Rogue hissed, but it was already too late. No sooner had it been mentioned than another piece of charged popcorn landed with a plop in Blob's soda. The resulting minor volcanic eruption drenched all three mutants. "Eugh!" Blaze and Angel leapt out of their seats, glaring at Blob. Fred just blinked rapidly, swishing the soda from his face with two hands. "Blob you idiot!" Blaze fumed, wringing her hair out with two hands.

"It wasn't me I swear," Blob protested. "It just kinda exploded."

"Yeah right," Angel didn't believe him.

"Sshhuushh!" insisted the woman at the front of the screen. "Shush, shush, shush!"

It was a bad move. A hotdog drowned in ketchup flew across the room and hit the woman straight in the face. Blaze's aim was excellent, what with all the practice she got throwing fireballs. The woman's partner didn't waste a second, launching his tub of chocolate ice cream right back at the three mutants. He missed Blaze, but got Blob right in his chest. The man mountain roared his rage and launched his cheesy nachos back at the people at the front of the screen. Gambit decided now was probably a good time to leave, and guided Rogue back out the side door. They collapsed in fit of hysterical laughter, as behind them a small army of ushers broke up the escalating food fight.

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"And don't ever come back!" the cinema manager cried as Blaze, Angel and Blob were shoved out of the building. Gambit and Rogue peered around the corner in time to see Blob grin engagingly, "Thanks you guys, that was the most fun I've had in ages."

"No problem," Angel shrugged bewilderedly. "Anytime."

"Well, g'night," Blob turned and ambled off, leaving the young couple thoroughly confused as to what had just happened. Not to mention dripping with soda.

"I suppose it was more fun having a food fight than watching that sorry excuse for an action film," Blaze decided.

"Y'know, you're right," Angel smiled. "Problem is all that food flying about has made me hungry. You ready to go eat?"

"You think they will let us in the restaurant dripping in sticky soda?" Blaze countered.

"We can clean up in the restrooms," Angel decided. "The amount the place charges, they can like it or lump it."

"I like your attitude," Blaze smiled, linking arms with her beau. "Come on then, I'm starving." The couple walked off, chuckling to themselves all the way back to Angel's car. Rogue turned and looked at Gambit, who was scowling.

"Looks like your master plan had a few flaws in it," Rogue preached. "They actually had fun. Ah guess we'd better be headin' home then…"

"Non," Gambit practically stamped his foot like a truculent two-year-old. "We ain't givin' up so easily. C'mon!"

Whilst Blaze and Angel got cleaned up and settled with drinks and menus at the extravagant restaurant down by Bayville's newly regenerated waterfront, Gambit and Rogue had less glamorous plans. They parked the bike up across the road, where they could see the couple through the restaurant window. There they indulged in a Chinese takeaway with plastic chopsticks; Rogue's treat. By the time they were done eating, Blaze and Angel's orders had been taken, and the starters had arrived. Gambit starting paying attention, things were about to get interesting. Quickly he filled Rogue in on the plan, before heading inside through the restaurant's kitchen door.

"Table thirteen, one loin of haddock, one corn-fed chicken breast," called out Blaze and Angel's waiter over the hubbub of the kitchens. He stuck the paper note of the order on a counter with all the evening's orders, and then headed down a side corridor to the wine cellar. "Vin de Pays Langue d'Oc…" he mumbled, fingering through the bottles on the shelves. He was concentrating so hard he didn't notice Rogue sneak up behind him. She dropped him like a fly, briefly tapping his neck with two fingers. It wouldn't be enough to do him any damage, but neither would he be waiting on anyone this evening.

"Table thirteen's up," the chef called back in the kitchens, but there was no one there to deliver the meal. The platters sat languishing whilst the kitchen bustled around them. No one noticed that they hadn't been removed. The unguarded food was too much temptation for Gambit. A sly piece of slight of hand involving a bottle of Tabasco sauce and a whole lot of salt rendered both meals so that by the time they reached the couple, not only were they cold they were inedible. Gambit and Rogue sneaked back out front to watch the disaster unfold.

It didn't take very long for a disgruntled Blaze and a scowling Angel to march out of the restaurant, slamming the door behind them. They got into Angel's car and pulled away. Rogue held tightly to Gambit's waist as the Cajun set off after them on his bike. A telltale dripping of water from the back of Angel's car became a steady trail, and then a flood as the car headed towards Bayville's bridge. Gambit grinned to himself as Angel's expensive car juddered, then coughed, and then ground to a halt. Bingo, thought the triumphant Cajun, and drew in his bike so they weren't seen.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, nada, zip. Blaze owns me

**07**

"I do not believe this," griped Angel as he and Blaze clambered out of the car. He opened the bonnet to release a cloud of steam, giving a token glance to the engine, but it was dark now and Angel was no mechanic. A sigh from Blaze indicated he aught t turn his attentions to her, which he did. "Lousy date huh?"

"Just a touch," Blaze managed a weak smile, wrapping her arms around herself comfortingly. "I am having the worst day ever. First the crash, then fighting with Rem, and now this…"

"I'll fly you home," Angel offered, taking off his jacket and unfastening the buckles that kept his magnificent white wings hidden. As his wings unfurled to their full size, feathers ruffling as he straightened primaries and flexed muscle, Blaze had to smile. Angel just couldn't see how beautiful his wings were, how glorious. He extended a hand out to Blaze, who went willingly to him as he said, "I'll get someone to pick the car up tomorrow. You're not scared of heights are you?" The redhead shook her head mutely and wrapped her arms around Angel's neck. She looked coyly up at him with her big brown eyes as he scooped her up around her tiny waist. Angel's wings started to beat, stirring up dust on the sidewalk and producing a breeze that battered Blaze's ankles. Then they were airborne, floating on a cushion of air as Angel took them to the stars.

"Can you believe those two?" griped Rogue in awe. She and Gambit left the bike and walked to the railing at the left-hand-end of the bridge. Below them the streetlights shimmered orange on the gently rippling water. The place was deserted apart from the two ground-pounding mutant saboteurs, and the airborne couple. Blaze and Angel landed delicately on one of the uprights of the suspension bridge, and were now watching the last throws of the sunset. Angel's arm was around Blaze's waist whilst she clung to his shirtfront, hair lifting slightly in the breeze at elevation. Rogue couldn't keep the envy from her voice, "After everythin', they're still tryin'."

Gambit sighed, leaning on the railing next to Rogue and looking out over the dark water. "Maybe," he ceded, "Maybe there somet'ing to this tryin' t'ing. I wouldn't know; if the goin' gets rough I'm the first one outta there."

"Remy," Rogue began hesitantly after a moment's silence. "Why d'you think it didn't work with us?"

"I hate to break it to you," Remy risked a sideways smile at her, "But you dumped me for Mystique."

"Ah didn't know it was her," Rogue protested vehemently. Then she realised she didn't have a leg to stand on, and fell quiet. Smoothly Remy reached sideways and took her gloved hand in his, interlocking their fingers. Rogue held her breath, but Remy didn't say anything. He just looked right out over the twinkling water, to where the last strands of sunset on the distant horizon were being enveloped by the enclosing night.

Up on the pinnacle of the turret of the bridge, Angel unwittingly looked out at the same sunset as Gambit. The wind toyed with his feathers playfully as he put his chin on top of Blaze's head. "Its beautiful," he commented quietly. "Isn't it?"

"I suppose so," Blaze admitted grudgingly, as something caught her eye down below on the bridge. Under the arc of Angel's wing she spotted Remy and Rogue, recognising them instantly. Immediately her suspicious mind made a giant leap, sabotage! Her insides did a dainty back flip as her eyes dilated, her mouth fell open and she made a little gasp. Gambit had sabotaged her date tonight, with Rogue's help. It was the single sweetest thing anyone had ever done for her! He must really not want her to be with Angel, to go to all this trouble to make her date a disaster! Blaze radiated a tiny smile down on the Cajun's head, her twisted psyche more than delighted with this turn of events.

"What's that?" Angel suddenly asked, pointing away to the left and the bank of the river. Blaze turned to look, seeing darkness like a thick mist clouding the road that ran alongside the river. As she and Angel watched, the streetlights were swallowed up by the blackness. The dark patch was creeping along the riverside, and each light it put out went with a pop, flaring then dying abruptly. Angel felt the hairs standing up on the back of his neck. The stench of cold, black nothingness flared his nostrils. He pulled Blaze closer to him, saying, "We're getting outta here."

"Wait!" Blaze decreed as the black mass turned onto the bridge. "Gambit and Rogue are down there, and they haven't seen it, whatever it is."

"Rogue?" Angel started, "Where?"

"Down there," Blaze pointed, "C'mon!" With that they took off and soared majestically down to the bridge, a few paces away from a startled Cajun and Southern belle. "Behind you!" Blaze pointed past the couple at the rapidly approaching black void. The X-Men span on the spot, and Gambit drew a playing card. He charged it with his powers, then threw it at the void in the same time as it took Blaze to summon and lob a projectile fireball. Their attacks were simultaneously swallowed up, as though they had never been.

"Run!" Rogue demanded, scarpering down the bridge with Blaze and Gambit in hot pursuit. Angel launched upwards, trying to get over the top of the blackness. It swallowed him up and continued onwards. Silently it sucked in Gambit, then Blaze, and finally overwhelmed Rogue. All went black.

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How long the blackness lasted, Rogue couldn't guess. It may have been over in a heartbeat or have dragged on for a lifetime. Gradually it became lighter again, though it was still night at least the stars shimmered overhead. Rogue could feel the road surface under her fingertips and digging into her knees as she rolled onto all fours. There was a groan to her left as Gambit likewise started to get up. Blaze was already standing, brushing her clothes down and pulling a hand through her long tangled hair.

"Oh man," moaned Angel, rocking back onto his heels as he knelt on the floor. "Everyone okay?"

"Oui," replied Gambit, as Rogue said, "Ah think so."

"Um, Angel," Blaze gulped, looking quizzically at her boyfriend and turning a funny shade of white.

"What?" Angel asked her. The suddenly he knew. He reached a hand over his shoulder and found…nothing. Gasping he turned his head sideways and was confronted with the horrible truth. His wings had gone. He was human.

"Oh no!" breathed Rogue. Blaze wasted no time, going straight to Gambit's side. She crouched next to him and turned his chin to face her. Biting her lip she gave an infinitesimal shake of her head, taking her hand away from his face. My eyes, Remy thought, and panic gripped him. Sure enough the red-on-black pigmentation had vanished, leaving Gambit's eyes a normal brown colour. "Try charging something," Blaze suggested hopefully, but it was no good. The card Remy chose stayed boring and normal, instead of glowing and dangerous. He gave up and threw it away in disgust. All eyes turned to Rogue.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, nada, zip. Blaze owns me

**A/N:** In the last chapter, I mentioned Rogue and Gambit being broken up by Mystique's scheming. This happened in my fic 'Landslide', which was number 5 in my X-Men Evolution stories.

**08**

"There ain't no safe way o' testin' if my powers are gone," Rogue warned, but Blaze wasn't one for playing safe. She crossed to Rogue, who was now standing, and put her fingertips to Rogue's cheek. Nothing happened, except that a tear slid down Rogue's face, "Ah'm cur…"

"No," Blaze argued stubbornly. "The next person to mention the 'c' word will find themselves a variety of cooked chicken; Cajun style, Southern fried, or chicken wings."

"Shouldn't you test your own powers before you go threatening us?" Angel calmly prognosticated.

In response Blaze lifted her right hand from her side and clicked her fingers. A delightful fireball danced on her fingertips, squirming. Blaze didn't smile as she clicked her fingers again and the fireball went poof and disappeared.

"Guardian o' Fire," Gambit explained on Blaze's behalf. Was there a touch of pride in his voice for a ritual gifting of mystical energy he had been part of? "You knew how your powers were."

"Didn't you?" Blaze asked them all. It was a rhetorical question, so no one bothered to answer it. If they had known, they wouldn't have had to test it. Instead they glanced around them, searching for any sign of the shadow that had accosted them. There was nothing, so Angel asked, "Now what?"

"Back to the Institute," Rogue decided. "We need the Professor on this one."

"Bike won't start," Gambit informed them, straddling the machine and failing to get it revving.

"My car was broken down before whatever that was hit it," Angel conceded, succeeding in his innocence in making Rogue and Gambit look sheepish.

"Looks like we're walking then," Blaze pointed out. "C'mon Rogue, I want a word with you."

The redhead linked arms companionably with Rogue and whisked her off to set the pace, before the Southern belle had time to react. As soon as they were far enough in front of the guys so that they couldn't be overheard, Blaze began demanding answers. "So," she asked sharply, "Did you go along with Gambit's sabotage attempt to try and get a shot at Angel, or to get closer to Remy?"

"Did you agree to go out with Angel because you like, or because ya wanted to make Gambit jealous?" Rogue replied in earnest. Whatever response she expected from Blaze, laughter wasn't it, but it was what she got.

"Touché!" Blaze grinned, "Honestly Rogue, what do I have to do to prove to you that I'm not totally self-absorbed? Look, I've got an idea. Whilst your powers are gone, I promise you'll get no competition from me for either of the lads, okay?" She smiled kindly at Rogue, like a mischievous fairy godmother, "All you have to do is decide between our two Romeos."

"Sure, Ah guess," Rogue reluctantly agreed, wanting what Blaze offered with all her heart, but convinced there was a catch. What if I can't get my powers back, she thought, what if I don't want them back?

"Tres bien," Blaze decreed, slowing their pace so the boys could catch up. They were barely besides the girls, when Blaze's foot snaked out and deftly tripped Rogue up. The Southern girl stumbled and fell backwards, only to be scooped up in a young man's strong arms.

"Enjoy your trip Cherie?" quizzed Gambit as he set Rogue back on her feet. "Send me a postcard next time, non?"

"Thank you," Rogue replied, making puppy eyes at the tall Cajun. Blaze turned away, a small smile on her lips. A chance to turn Rogue from an enemy to an ally was too good to pass up on, even if it did cost her in the short term. What if it becomes long-term, a treacherous voice thought in Blaze's skull. What if you can't reverse the effects, and Rogue's powers don't come back? Like she's competition, Blaze reassured herself. Still, she didn't quite believe her own assurances.

All was quiet when they reached the mansion, a little too quiet in fact. Rogue and Angel took the upstairs of the house to search, whilst Gambit and Blaze went down to the subbasement levels. "Is it unusual not to have come across someone by now?" asked Angel tentatively.

"Are you kidding?" replied Rogue, trying to hide the tremor of concern in her voice. "It's a big house, but it's not that big. Where is everyone?"

"Don't worry Rogue, we'll find them," Angel reassured her, brushing her cheek with a finger gently. Rogue stepped into his touch, making more of it than Angel had intended. "Rogue, I…" Angel didn't know what to say as the girl turned her puppy eyes on him. "I'm seeing Blaze," he stated like some kind of verbal shield, but Rogue wasn't about to give up just yet. Her one shot alone with Warren, and she could touch! She threw caution to the wind. "What she don't know won't hurt her," Rogue pointed out.

"I thought you were a good girl, Rogue."

"Good girls are just bad girls that don't get caught," Rogue returned, lifting her chin and parting her lips invitingly. Angel was flabbergasted, that much was obvious, but he was also tempted. It wasn't fair on the girl not to be able to touch. Now her powers were missing, surely she had every right to demand a handshake, a hug…or even a kiss?


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, nada, zip. Blaze owns me

**09**

Elsewhere in the mansion, Blaze tentatively opened a door and peered around it questioningly. "Hello," she called, "Anyone here?"

"Look like it jus' you an' me, Cherie," Remy pointed out the obvious.

"Lucky me," drawled Blaze sarcastically.

"Huh," Gambit laughed dryly. "So how was your date?"

"Great," Blaze lied, opening another lower level door and peering round it. "I had a really good night."

"Right," Gambit was also being sarcastic. Blaze disappeared into the Danger Room control centre, shaking her head. "Wait up Cherie," Remy called, jogging down the corridor to catch up. "Some people jus' don't know what dey…" He caught Blaze's eye as he entered the room behind her. She was smiling a very relieved smile. Gambit looked past her to where Logan and Beast presided over a training session in the Danger Room below. Of course, they should have guessed! Just because there hadn't been a Danger Room session scheduled when they went out didn't mean there wouldn't be one, so long as Logan was involved. That explained why the mansion was deserted. Anyone not in the Danger Room was taking cover in order to avoid Wolverine's training session.

"Alright people, that's enough for one night," Logan announced over the radio as Beast consecutively shut down the simulation. "I expect you all in bed inside an hour, so get movin'."

"That a li'l harsh, mon Ami," Gambit commented, echoing the groans of displeasure from the Danger Room itself.

"You are a little harsh on them sometimes, Logan," Beast told Wolverine as they turned away from the controls, towards the door.

"That's what Rem just…" Blaze pointed out, but she was cut off.

"Yeah well, they need a bit of discipline," Logan grouched as he and Beast walked out the door, straight #through# Gambit and Blaze. The two miscreant X-Men gasped as their teammates passed through them, without even seeing them. Blaze felt suddenly sick. What had just happened? She must have looked queasy too, as Gambit's first reaction was to take her by the arm and rub her spine to make her feel better. Either that or he just wanted to make sure he wasn't liable to slide through everyone. He and Blaze locked eyes frantically, and one name passed both their lips, "The Professor."

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"Rogue, I…" Angel started to say as she pulled her lips away from his. He didn't get any further, as a pair of jovial voices approached them.

"I'm tellin' you Golan, Logan's dead set on turning us all into mince meat," Bobby Drake rounded the corner, chatting to his fellow Guardian, the frog-eyed, four-armed, earth-moving Golan. Hastily abashed, Angel and Rogue cleared their throats nervously and moved away from each other.

"Golan, he t'inks dat de one dey call Wolverine, bad temper he has worse than anyone Golan knows," waffled Golan in his strange speech. He emphasised the word 'anyone' by extending all four of his stocky arms out to his sides as far as he could reach. In the process he almost clouted Rogue, who danced back just in time.

"Watch it will ya!" Rogue exclaimed. "What's goin' on guys, where ya been?"

"Totally grouchy," Iceman agreed with Golan, ignoring Rogue. "I mean, an hour to do all my homework before tomorrow, as if!"

"Never before done homework have you," Golan laughed. "Den Golan say not de time now to start."

"Too right," said Iceman, walking straight through Angel and disappearing with Golan upstairs. Angel wobbled, gasped and was grabbed by Rogue. Both mutants went icily white, stuttering, "The Professor…"

#Come to my office, both of you,# commanded Xavier's voice inside their heads. #Blaze and Gambit are already here. At least,# here he paused, caught between worried and amused, #I presume they are. For all that I can sense you, I cannot see you any more than the rest of the X-Men you have encountered.#

In Xavier's office, Charles sat pondering the situation from his wheelchair. He touched his fingertips together and pouted pensively. A fire crackled happily in the hearth, a sign that Blaze sat near it. Xavier could sense Gambit stood by the window. Angel and Rogue took the chair by the bookcase and the rug in the middle of the room respectively. Xavier knew this, yet for all intents and purposes, he was looking at an empty room.

"We are agreed then," Xavier spoke aloud, knowing they could all hear him, even if he could only hear them by telepathy. "The black mist that sapped your powers and left you languishing out of phase with the rest of us, was some kind of mutant attack."

"No doubt about it Professor," Gambit replied, drumming his fingers on the windowsill as he leaned against it. "I'm t'inking Magneto gotta be behind it."

"I don't think so," disagreed Angel. "If Magneto had power like this up his sleeve, I don't think he would waste the element of surprise by taking out the four of us."

"I am inclined to agree with Angel," voted the Professor. "In fact, I do not believe you were deliberately attacked at all. Rather, you have been caught up in this by accident."

"Reassurin' as that is Professor," Rogue pointed out. "It don't help us get visible again."

"No, it doesn't," agreed Charles. "Yet I think I may have the answer to that as well…"


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, nada, zip. Blaze owns me

**A/N: Posting:** Just to warn everyone, my posting is liable to be erratic over the next few weeks and months, and my reviewing will be down to nil. I've had some bad new health-wise, so I've got big things going on in my own life right now. I will still be writing, coz it gives me great strength and relief, and I will keep posting, but please be patient with me if I am not particularily predictable.

**10**

Charles immediately and telepathically showed the four young mutants events he had witnessed in Cerebro earlier that evening. He showed them a plain, pale coloured room in a hospital ward. Without a window, it was lit only by stark neon lights. There was a single bed in the room, shrouded in crisp white sheets. Under the sheets lay the sleeping form of a small person, a girl no older than Magma. Subtly Charles directed the doctor through whose eyes they witnessed the scene to pick up the girl's chart. The doctor read it willingly. A few bumps and bruises, a knock to the head, but that was all. She would make a full recovery from the road traffic accident.

Still, that didn't answer the question as to why she had run so suicidally in front of Blaze's car. Charles pondered the pieces of the puzzle pensively. Meanwhile the doctor went about his duties. He picked up the sleeping girl's skinny wrist to take her pulse. Turning it over in his grasp, the doctor saw a pinkish scar marking the girl's near-white porcelain skin. So, this wasn't the first time the girl had tried to do away with herself. Her pulse was weak, but otherwise normal. The doctor let the girl's wrist fall back to the bed. She murmured in her sleep, but did not wake up.

Next the doctor went to place his hand gently on the girl's forehead to check her temperature. She wasn't pretty, not yet. Her nose had a regal arch to it, and her cheekbones were pronounced. They were features that would make for a handsome woman, but seemed out of place on a child. The doctor hardly noticed, staring instead at the girl's hair. Hair that had been ebony locks, cut in loose waves with a heavy fringe, was now turning white from the roots outwards. The doctor gasped as Charles did; they had both heard of shock turning hair white, but this was too stark and rapid a reaction. Already the white was a hand's width down the length of the girl's hair, and increasing at a visible rate.

The doctor pushed back the girl's fringe to feel the heat on her forehead. What he felt was not a remarkable temperature, but two lumpy projections on the girl's brow. He lifted his hand, scooping away her fringe. There was blood on her forehead, though not from the crash. Two little bony protrusions, like the budding horns on a goat, split the skin on each temple. A mutant; Xavier felt the doctor recoil in a gut reaction. At the same moment, the girl woke up. She did not open her eyes as the doctor left the room to seek help. Xavier sensed her wakefulness and stayed, hovering in the ether, wondering what the girl would do now.

The girl opened her eyes, albino pink eyes and bloodshot at that, the second the doctor had gone. She sat up, blinking as she registered her surroundings, then lurched despairingly to her feet. She staggered for a few short steps, rubbing the lumps on her head with the back of her arm. Then quickly she made a break for freedom, down a corridor, out a fire escape and into the night.

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"The girl I ran over did this?" Blaze was staggered.

"It appears to be too much of a coincidence for that not to be the answer," Xavier returned. "Wouldn't you agree?"

"Sure," shrugged Remy. "But knowin' who dunnit don't get us no closer to getting our powers back or bein' visible again."

"Maybe not," Xavier was brutally honest. "Still, the four of you are the only ones who can track her down without fear of the consequences should she turn her powers in you."

"I think he means it can't possibly get any worse for us," Angel sniggered heartlessly.

"Typical," groaned Rogue. "Then Ah guess we better get a move on an' go find the kid before she gets someone else stuck in this, this, whatever it is."

"After you Cherie," Gambit indicated to the door genteelly. Rogue left, followed by Blaze and then Angel. "Ladies first," Gambit concluded to Angel's wingless back, before following the luckless troupe back into the night.

"If I had my wings, this'd be easy. I'd find the kid in no time at all," Warren moaned as they traipsed down the road again back into town.

"We'll get ya wings back Warren, you'll seen," pandered Rogue, tapping Warren lightly on his arm.

"So where do we start lookin', mes Amies?" Remy asked, cutting in between Rogue and Angel and companionably slinging an arm around both their shoulders.

"Scene of the crime," Blaze answered from a little way ahead of them. She was looking out over the town, pointing in the direction she wanted to start searching. "Right where I knocked the mite over this afternoon."

"Good a place as any," said Angel, ducking out from Gambit's overly familiar arm and catching Blaze up. Gambit's other arm never left Rogue's shoulders. As Blaze and Angel led the way, so Gambit and Rogue brought up the rear, and the marched onwards under the twinkling carpet of stars.

The hunch proved right. The X-Men found the black shadow that had attacked them downtown, at the scene of the earlier car crash. Gambit scuffed a couple of deep grooves in the road, made by his earlier fall from his bike. Rogue and Angel glanced at each other, and then followed Blaze who was pressing on to the black shape in front of them. Up close, the shadow was actually not a shadow at all. It was a bubble of darkness with an oozing, fluidic surface that swelled transiently like an oil slick moving on the surface of the sea.

Frowning, Blaze reached out with a slender hand and touched the black mass. Her fingers pushed against the tension on the surface, then the black goo swallowed her hand up to the wrist. "Cold," Blaze gasped, dragging her hand back swiftly. The black clung to her fingertips in tendrils. She had to shake her hand to get rid of them. The tendrils retracted like sulky children back into the black mass. "Any volunteers to go in there?" Blaze asked, not looking back at the others.

"You're the only one who still has powers," Rogue pointed out.

"Good point," Blaze ceded, taking a deep breath. "Wish me luck?"

Before anyone had time to answer, Blaze stepped forwards and was gone. The void closed behind her with a sucking noise, then it was like she had never been there. The others waited with bated breath, not sure what to expect. Gambit clenched his fists and set his jaw in a grimace, preparing himself to go diving in there after Blaze. Angel went pale with all the horrid possibilities that could even now be devouring his girlfriend. Seeing this, Rogue took Angel's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

The black ooze made an abrupt popping noise, and Blaze's head, right shoulder and arm were spat back out. "Come on in," she beckoned, "The water's lovely." Gambit was closest, so she grabbed his wrist and dragged him in after her. Rogue and Angel followed, taking a breath before they stepped into the darkness.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, nada, zip. Blaze owns me

**11**

Inside the bubble was an absolute absence of ambient light. Somewhere ahead, Blaze clicked her fingers to ignite a fireball. The tiny orb of fire sat purring on Blaze's upturned left palm, rubbing against her fingers and doing its best to please her. The light helped a little with the visibility, but not much. It was still akin to walking through a fog at night. Still, it was enough to see that so far neither Gambit's eyes nor Angel's wings had mutated back again. Any thoughts that simply re-entering the bubble might be enough to restore their mutations and put them back in phase with the world were quickly dispelled. They would have to locate the source of the problem; the girl Blaze had hit with her car. All four of them came to the same conclusion without discussion, and they set off further into the darkness as one.

A little while later, they came to the conclusion that the black space was also out of phase with the rest of the world. How else could it be so big, yet without any landmarks or undulations in terrain? They seemed to have been walking for hours, and still had not found the girl. Blaze's torchlight faltered and the dark closed in surreptitiously around them. Angel and Gambit shared a worried glance. Blaze was walking just in front of the other three. She stumbled, and the light from the little orb faded again. Angel raised his voice; etched as it was with worry, "Blaze? Um, it's getting darker in here…"

"Sorry," Blaze apologised, wiped her eyes with her right hand. "Can't seem to concentrate."

"Chere, you can burn stuff in your sleep, how much concentration d'you need?" Gambit wanted to know.

"Sorry," Blaze mumbled again as the light got a little brighter. Angel was scowling, Gambit had never seen him so angry-looking. "How do you know," Angel asked, "That she can burn stuff in her sleep?"

"Figure o' speech, Ami," Gambit raised his hands appeasingly to the blond man.

"Funny one to pick, all things considered," argued Angel. "Tell me Gambit…"

"Stop it, both of you!" Rogue wailed. "Man, Ah'm so depressed, Ah can't stop cryin' no more, but I don't know why."

"Me too," Blaze admitted, her face tear-stained. "Something's just crushing me. I feel like I've got the weight of the world on my back."

"Does it look like I want to listen to you two whining?" Angel was becoming aggressive, his posture tense and eyes bloodshot. "None of you care about me, none of you."

"Leave me alone," Rogue sobbed, covering her face with one hand and fending Gambit's attentions off with the other. "No one understands me, ya'll don't even try."

"What's happenin' to us?" Gambit wondered, raising his fingertips to his cheeks and feeling wetness there. "I ain't bin dis sad since…" He couldn't remember, though he didn't doubt he had been through worse. "Like a defence mechanism," he thought aloud. "Someone imposin' his or her feelings on us." Blaze was down, kneeling on the floor. What was left of their light was a flicker of flames she cupped in both hands. She was hunched over the tiny flames, sobbing with tears falling into her lap. If that fire went out, they might lose each other in here forever!

C'mon Remy, Gambit urged himself, get angry. Get so mad you don't feel like cryin' no more. Gritting his teeth and clenching his fists, Remy strode determinedly to Blaze. He grabbed her elbows and hauled her to her feet. Taking the uncharacteristically meek fire elemental by the upper arms he tried to shake some sense into her, calling her name. The light went out.

Like an express train plunging into a railway tunnel, suddenly there was nothing. If Gambit hadn't been holding Blaze's arms, he wouldn't have known if she was there or not. He had no idea if Rogue or Angel were all right. "Everyone stay right where you are, okay?" he called out into the darkness. Listening, he heard a muffled mumble that could have been an agreement. Accepting that this was all he was going to get, Remy turned his attention to Blaze.

"Cherie, c'mon. You gotta fire dis t'ing up again," Gambit pleaded.

"Can't" Blaze sobbed, "Can't concentrate, too sad."

"It ain't your emotion," Gambit told her forcefully. "Someone makin' you feel like dis, to stop you lightening this dump up a bit. Blaze you gotta try harder, we can't let 'em beat us so easily." The only response he got was a bit of a feeble sniffle in the dark. Remy was exasperated. He didn't know whether to hit or hug her, "Woman, you the bane o' my life."

"Hey," Blaze sniffed, "It's hardly my fault that you've got rubbish taste in girls." So she knew he still liked her then? No time to dwell on that. Gotta keep her talking, Remy thought. He smiled as he said, "This from the belle who datin' a guy with chicken wings."

"A rich guy with chicken wings," amended Blaze with a mild giggle. Remy could have jumped for joy. He settled for giving her a firm peck of a kiss on her lips.

"That's my girl!" he exclaimed. "Fire it up!"

"Stand back," Blaze warned him, giving him a shove in the chest to emphasise her point. No sooner was he clear than she let rip. No less than seven fireballs flew from her hands, to whirl upwards in a tight corkscrew. Once they were high enough, Blaze clapped her hands and they merged together. Under this miniature sun the darkness lit up like day. It was a murky, misty and grey day, but a day nonetheless. With the lifting of the darkness, everyone's mood lifted too.

"What was that?" Angel asked shakily.

"Someone who doesn't want us to be here," Rogue decided, unhappy that someone had made her cry in public. Taking her powers and phasing her out of reality was one thing, but now it was personal.

"Go away!" screamed a voice in the distance. "Leave me alone!"

"Not until you undo what you've done to us," called Blaze in reply.

"Come talk to us," Angel pleaded. "Maybe we can help you?"

"No one can help me," the disembodied voice returned. "I just want to diiieee…" The word 'die' dragged out into a banshee wail, losing all coherence.

"Hey," Rogue too was trying the patient approach, hearing the distress in that young female voice that mirrored how she had felt only a few moments before. "It ain't easy, findin' out you're a mutant. Trust me, Ah know. Ya should know you ain't alone. There are places you can go, people who will help you."

"Just go away…" the little girl's voice was receding now, drifting off into the distance. Gambit beckoned the others and they started to run in the general direction of the voice. Blaze's fireball sun followed, becoming a comet with a fiery tail. How long they ran for was uncertain in the anti-landscape. Eventually the mists parted, and the little girl stood there waiting to confront them. "You can't help me," she told them crossly, her skinny arms folded across her chest. "No one can. I'm a freak of nature, I don't belong on this earth, there's no place for me in the whole of existence. I never should have been born."


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, nada, zip. Blaze owns me

**12**

"Hon," Rogue knelt down in front of the girl and took her hands. "We've all been there, trust me, please."

"I… I thought if I could just practice on you mutants, and make your powers go," the girl offered hesitantly, cringing under Rogue's touch. "I'd be able to cure myself. It didn't work. I'm still…wrong. Just wrong."

"So reverse it already," Gambit suggested, putting a hand on Blaze's shoulder to stop her bristling at the word 'cure'. "Then we'll leave you alone, seein' a that's what you want so bad, eh Cherie?"

"What's your name kid?" Angel asked, trying to sway the girl's mind with a little forced familiarity.

"Olivia Showman," she mumbled. "That's a pretty name," Blaze caught the idea and made the introductions. "This is Gambit, Rogue, Angel and I'm Blaze."

"Those aren't names," Olivia protested grumpily.

"Mutant names," Gambit clarified. "It ain't bad bein' a mutant y'know." Olivia blinked at them all, and then shook her head. She seemed to have come to some sort of conclusion. Her lips peeled back from her teeth in a disdainful grimace, and she shook her hands free from Rogue. "Fine," she spat. "If you're powers are all so great, have them back. Have your lives back too; I don't want you in here any more. This is my space. Get out!"

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Very slowly, cautiously even, Rogue awakened. Her eyes flickered open, only for her to be momentarily blinded by a bright white light. Blinking rapidly cleared her vision enough to make out a face in front of her, the smiling face of a certain Cajun with red-on-black eyes. It wasn't a bad thing to wake up to. With a groan, Rogue sat up in the bed she was in. She recognised her surroundings as the infirmary back in the lower levels of the mansion. Remy sat on her bed, looking weary but otherwise fine. Across the room Angel was also sat on a bed, whilst Blaze sat cross-legged in a chair. It took Rogue a second to compute that the rest of the space in the room seemed to be filled by Angel stretching his massive white wings.

"Back with us Rogue?" asked Warren with a smile. "How you feeling?"

"Like Ah jus' got sat on by a rhino or somethin'," Rogue replied with a grimace. "Are we all back to normal?"

"We're back in phase, yes," answered Blaze. "Angel and Gambit are all powered up again too. As for you, there's only one way to find out…" Blaze tailed off, looking pointedly at both Angel and Gambit. Angel looked the other way, pretending not to understand. Gambit just smiled again, and offered his hand. "Go on Cherie," he told Rogue. "I ain't afraid."

"Okay," Rogue was hesitant, but touched her fingertips to Remy's anyway. Nanoseconds later Gambit was slack-jawed and seeing stars. His eyes rolled back in his skull and he flaked out across the bed. "Maybe," Rogue offered to the unconscious man, "You should be scared o' me after all, Cher." She blinked. "Oh man, did Ah just say that?"

"Ha, that's funny," Blaze sniggered. Gambit groaned and started to sit up again. Angel rolled his eyes, before asking, "Does anyone know what happened to Olivia?"

"She's here of course," Blaze replied. "I came round pretty quickly after she made us all black out, because I didn't have to regain my powers. Whatever that bubble was, it had been blocking Xavier's telepathy. As soon as it popped, he sent Logan and the X-Van to pick us up. As I came round, Olivia was sitting on the curb, staring into the gutter with her head in her hands. Somehow Logan and I persuaded her to come back with us and meet the Professor. She's with him now, poor mite, and I think she might be there a while yet. I just hope he can help her."

"Did ya find out why she was so depressed?" inquired Rogue.

"Little bits," Blaze nodded, "Yes. Her parents are the pushy type, really pushy. She could never be pretty, smart or popular enough to please them. Olivia has had it drummed into her head all the things she's not, sporty, charismatic, funny or warm-hearted. She had a complex even before she discovered her mutation. When she found out she was a mutant, she decided to kill herself rather than have to face her parents. The first attempt failed, so as soon as she was able she ran away and tried again, aiming for death by my car.

"Her depression seems linked to her mutation," Blaze continued. "So the Professor thinks anyway. The black bubble she created is a physical manifestation of that depression, and the emotions she imposed on us were her own. The more depressed she gets, the stronger she is. You gotta pity any future ex-boyfriends she might have, if the Professor can't separate the powers from the emotion. Oh, and she's chosen an alias. She now called Morose."

"At least now it's over," Rogue sighed, looking pretty downhearted herself. Gambit reached across the bed and squeezed Rogue's shoulder supportively. "Don't you go getting' depressed on me, Cherie."

"You mean you didn't have fun tonight?" Angel gasped in mock-horror. Rogue grinned, as Blaze laughed out loud. "It was fun," the redhead confirmed. "We should double date again sometime. C'mon Angel, I'll borrow the X-Van and give you a lift home."

"Are you sure you're up to driving again?" asked Warren, getting up from the bed and re-folding his wings flat against his back.

"Of course," Blaze replied flippantly. "There's nothing wrong with my driving, Olivia caused the crash."

"I wouldn't go as far as saying there was nothing wrong," Angel countered, only to receive a thump on the arm from Blaze. "Will the insurance cover the repairs to you car?"

"Yep, and a re-spray, and maybe a new set of twenty-three inch alloys if I have my way with the paperwork," chuckled Blaze.

"That's fraud Blaze!" Angel exclaimed, but it was with a grin. Blaze just shrugged and gave her boyfriend a shove out of the infirmary door. They could be heard laughing all the way up the corridor, until the closing of the lift doors curtailed the sound. Rogue looked at Gambit, "Double date?"

"Why not?" Remy asked with a shrug. "Though maybe we should go on a date of our own first, eh Rogue?"

"Are you askin' me out?" wondered Rogue.

"Are you gonna say yes?"

"What the heck, why not?" Rogue agreed. "Ya only live once."

"Tres bien," said Gambit, forgetting himself and kissing Rogue's cheek. Immediately he passed out.

Roll credits………………………………..


End file.
